Voting for the presidential election begins

KATHMANDU, March 9: Voting for the presidential election has begun. Voting has started at separate polling stations for federal parliamentarians and provincial assembly members established in the Lhotse chamber of the parliament building in New Baneshwar.

Presidential candidate Ram Chandra Poudel casted his first vote for the federal parliament lawmaker, while Prakash Shrestha, a member of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, casted his first vote for the provincial assembly. Voters have reached the polling station. Assistant Election Officer Amrita Kumari Sharma said that the polling started at 10 am and will continue till 3 pm. Ramchandra Poudel of Nepali Congress and Subashchandra Nemwang of CPN (UML) are competing for the third president.

Poudel of NC has been a common candidate of CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal, Janmaat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rahtriya Janamorcha and Nepal Samajwadi Party along with Nepali Congress.

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It is mentioned in the constitution that there will be a president in Nepal and the president will promote the national unity of Nepal. Upholding and protecting the Constitution will be the prime duty of the President.

As a result of the 2006/2007 movement in Nepal, the practice of the presidential system began with the establishment of a republic in the country. The election of the President is done by the Election Commission consisting of voters who are members of the Federal Parliament (House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the Province Assembly.

A total of 882 voters remain in the presidential election, including 332 federal parliament members and 550 provincial assembly members. The vote weight of the federal MP is 79 and the vote weight of the provincial assembly member is 48.

The constitution mentions that the term of office of the president is five years from the date of election and a person who has been elected president twice cannot be a candidate in the election again.